Rob Price
Gutbrain Records
rob + gutbrain.com = email

2019 October 21 • Monday

Tito Arevalo's music for The Mad Doctor of Blood Island is the 592nd Soundtrack of the Week.

The "Pre-Title" and "Title" cues blend blaring wind instruments with strings, percussion and wordless vocals to create a powerful atmosphere of danger and dread.

Then things get mellow and even a bit sweet with “Number 1”, a much more relaxing piece which still generates some suspense while mostly sounding like a love theme.

Most of the other cues are “Number 2”, “Number 3” and so on and generally deliver solid dramatic underscore, admirably crafting a wide range of tension, terror and action with a relatively small ensemble.

“Number 7” stands out for being a tender and even perhaps pastoral-sounding cue.

“Number 12” likewise has a wistful and vulnerable quality to it.

Hand percussion, chanting and some unusual-sounding reed instruments create the dense layers of “Dance, Pt. 1”. “Dance, Pt. 2” has a different feel and slightly different instrumentation.

“Distant Drums” lives up to its name.

And finally, “Finale” winds things up on a quiet and elegiac note.